Alameda County Biographies

CHARLES PROWSE

Transcribed by Kathy Sedler

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm

 

	For many years Charles Prowse has been successfully engaged in the real-estate and 
insurance business in Hayward, California, in which city he was one of the pioneers. He also 
discharges the duties of justice of the peace and county supervisor and moreover is town 
recorder. He was born in Galena, Illinois, May 28, 1852, and is a son of Thomas and Elvina 
(Bradshaw) Prowse, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Jacksonville, Illinois. 
The father paid his first visit to California in 1850, but in 1851 returned to Illinois, 
coming again to California in 1868, when he brought his family to the Castro valley, where he 
engaged in farming. He died in 1869, his wife passing away quite recently. In their family were 
thirteen children, of whom our subject is the seventh in order of birth.
	Charles Prowse attended public school in Jo Daviess county, Illinois, but at the early 
age of thirteen made his way across the plains to Montana, bringing a drove of cattle from his 
native state to the western frontier�a trip of about twenty-six hundred miles. He lived in 
Montana about three years but later came to the Castro valley, where his father had bought land. 
Following the death of the latter he continued in the operation of the family farm for a time, 
but in 1880 gave up agricultural pursuits and moved to Hayward, where he accepted a position as 
foreman of the warehouse business and lumber yard conducted by Anspacher Brothers and so 
continued until 1883. He then turned his attention to the real-estate and insurance business and 
has ever since been active along that line. The years have brought him success, and he has 
handled much country and town property, being now considered one of the substantial residents of 
his city. He has always proven himself worthy of the confidence reposed in him and his advice is 
frequently sought upon financial matters in regard to real estate, as he is considered one of the 
best judges of land in and around Hayward.
	Mr. Prowse married Miss Lucinda F. Luce, a native of California, the ceremony taking 
place at Hayward. They became the parents of five children: Joseph Bradshaw; Emma L., deceased; 
Mary Olive, the wife of Joseph A. Gibson, of Elmhurst; Gertrude L.; and Arthur James.
	Mr. Prowse has always taken a most active part in public progress. One of his achievements 
was in securing Hayward public park, the Plaza, which for years was a dumping ground for refuse 
and a menace to the health of the city. Part of it was occupied by business concerns who were 
illegally holding and using the ground. In 1900 Mr. Prowse began a movement to secure and devote 
the spot to public use. The matter had to be taken into court and a favorable decision was handed 
down by Justice Field, reestablishing the city's title to the entire plat, which embraces a huge 
city block. Judge Prowse personally donated one hundred trees at a considerable expense as a 
beginning to beautify the Plaza, which is now one of the show places of the town and would be a 
credit to a city many times the size of Hayward.
	He is a member of the Chamber of Commerce and in 1903 was appointed to the board of 
supervisors in order to serve out the unexpired term of Joseph Pinentel�a period of two years 
and was subsequently elected and reelected for two terms of four years.  He acts as justice of 
the peace and has earned the general indorsement of the public, for his decisions have always 
been fair and impartial. Since January 1, 1901, he has also been town recorder of Hayward. He has 
shown himself able and faithful in the discharge of his public duties, the people giving evidence 
of the confidence which they have in him by continued reelections. Politically he is a republican, 
active in the interests of his party and loyal to its principles. He belongs to Sycamore Lodge, 
I. O. O. F., Eucalyptus Lodge of Masons and the Alameda Lodge of. Elks. In all his relations of 
life Mr. Prowse has proven himself a valuable and useful citizen who is ever ready to give his moral 
and material support to those measures which promise to be of benefit to his fellowmen.

Past & Present of Alameda County, California � Vol II, S. J. Clarke Publ. Co., 1914, p. 528